The Slate, a luxury hotel and event venue in Phuket, Thailand, has launched a new Mindful Meetings campaign at IT&CM Asia.
The campaign offers a range of wellness-focused activities and amenities, including yoga sessions, mindfulness workshops, nutritious dining options, and relaxation spaces. By integrating these elements into their events, The Slate aims to create a more engaging, inspiring, and fulfilling experience for attendees.
Mindful Meetings at The Slate
“We believe that a healthy and happy workforce is a more productive one,” said David Barrett, general manager of The Slate. “Our Mindful Meetings campaign is designed to help companies elevate their events while also promoting the well-being of their employees.”
In addition to its wellness offerings, The Slate also boasts state-of-the-art meeting facilities, such as the Jomon Pavilion, a stunning venue with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
FCM Travel Asia has promoted Gursheel Dhillon to head of marketing.
Dhillon, a seasoned marketer and communicator, has been a pivotal part of the business, overseeing public relations and communications across six key markets in Asia.
She was awarded the Global Corporate Marketer of the Year by the ASX-listed Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) in her first year with the business. Dhillon has successfully driven FCM’s narrative in Asia, contributing to growing the brand’s presence across both trade and mainstream media titles while working closely with key stakeholders.
Large industry organisations are leading the charge towards sustainable exhibitions
Some reusable booth furniture and materials are still too pricey for widespread adoption
Production and post-show processes must be considered when measuring sustainability goals
Solar panels on top of Singapore Expo’s roof
Business event organisers, participants and industry organisations are increasingly paying attention to their role in meeting sustainability goals through their activities.
In advocating for greater sustainability commitment, the ninth edition of the Global Exhibitions Day (GED) on June 5, 2024, bore the theme, Exhibitions are catalysts to sustainable futures. It underscored four key messages: exhibition’s ability to drive progress; exhibition’s ability to facilitate economic growth; exhibitions are sustainable; and exhibitions connect people. Aligned with this theme, GED 2024 saw UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibitions Industry planting 3,000 trees across the Philippines, Madagascar, and Ecuador through a collaboration with sustainability partner EcoMatcher and digital marketing partner snöbal.
A month later, the massive Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE) initiative, hosted by the Joint Meetings Industry Council, gained a new signatory. ASM Global, a global company specialising in venue development and management and live entertainment content management, signed the NZCE Pledge on July 29.
In taking the NZCE Pledge, the signatory organisation aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. This is in line with global efforts set out by the Paris Agreement to limit warming to 1.5°C and reduce total global GHG emissions by 50 per cent by 2030, and to actively promote and advocate for industry efforts throughout the value chain.
ASM Global’s pledge is significant to the NZCE initiative, as the single organisation has a network of over 400 venues worldwide, which gives it the power to galvanise widespread adoption of sustainable practices within the industry.
Venue support
Singapore-based Constellar Holdings, which manages the Singapore Expo venue, is also a signatory of the NZCE Pledge. It is the first business events venue in Asia to install solar panels. Set across Singapore Expo roofs, these 16,508 panels can generate 12GWh annually – enough to power 4,000 three-room apartments for a year, and allow the venue to effectively reduce carbon emissions equivalent to 500 round trips between Singapore and New York, shared group CEO Chua Wee Phong.
Constellar Holdings has also installed a food digester and built three on-site herb gardens that grow over 25 varieties of herbs and spices, which are used by the in-house culinary team to prepare meals for events.
Chua told TTGmice that the team is relentless in testing “new innovative prototypes to achieve our sustainability goals”, and is driven by the desire to do their part “to ensure that our future generations have a good planet Earth to live on”.
He emphasised that the journey to sustainable events must be taken by everyone in the industry. “In Singapore, our direction is set by the Singapore Tourism Board. We are all involved, from venue managers like us to stand builders like Pico, and to exhibitors and attendees,” stated Chua.
While Constellar Holdings cannot dictate how clients build their booths, Chua said the sustainability initiatives set out by Constellar Holdings were a way to help event owners and organisers achieve their green objectives.
“Sustainability comes at a cost, and it isn’t cheap to use special paper furniture and modular booths made of recyclable materials. However, by choosing to take their events to an accredited sustainable venue like ours, event owners and organisers are already halfway there. They know that their events at Singapore Expo are running on sustainable energy, they are minimising single-use plastic consumption, their food waste is being put to good use, etc,” explained Chua, adding that Constellar Holdings offers clients a post-event report that spells out their environmental impact to aid planning.
Many layers to sustainability
David Holmquist, sales executive with Queensland-based Pyramid Displays, acknowledged the growing trend in sustainable exhibition booths, but said event owners, organisers and exhibitors have many factors to consider when aiming for a low carbon impact event.
One consideration is how stand equipment is produced and handled after tear-down.
Holmquist told TTGmice: “Sustainability has to make sense. You could use booth furniture made of cardboard, which is made of recycled material and is foldable for storage and future use. However, it is extremely fragile with no longevity. You could print a reusable fabric banner, but you have to ensure that your future stands are the same to be able to use that fabric banner again. Also, there is a cost attached to storing and freighting these reusable items to your next event somewhere in the world.”
Recognising that the sustainability responsibility rests not only on the user, Pyramid Displays has developed ways to minimise post-event waste. Boards and fabrics removed from stands are reused as infills, to create other pieces of furniture, or as in-house packaging materials.
He added that sustainability goals are not all about waste reduction and management; community goals are crucial too.
“We are an Australian homegrown company and have been in business for 28 years. We build a lot of our counters and fashion a lot of booth equipment in-house with the hands of Australians. When event owners and organisers use Pyramid Displays for their events in Queensland, they are helping us to feed the local community. By producing everything locally, we also minimise the carbon footprint of event build-up,” he said.
Both Chua and Holmquist agree that environmentally efficient exhibition furnishing is generally still pricey today due to the lack of production scale. However, the ongoing sustainability movement will eventually build up enough demand and bring costs down to an economical level.
“I love seeing new things popping up for the sake of sustainable events. The events industry is still in an experimental phase now, and some ideas are bound to do well and stick around. Sustainable exhibition design is an ongoing conversation,” Holmquist opined.
Chua agrees that just as some event supplies are made redundant due to sustainability considerations, other new ideas will come along. Citing the use of carpets in exhibitions as an example, he said most shows have completely done away with its use, but for events that still require a central carpet for aesthetics, there are now reusable and washable options.
Several APAC destinations are witnessing a surge in arriving Indian business event groups; Hoi An, Vietnam pictured
Asian destinations are experiencing a surge in demand from Indian business events groups, with Dubai being among the established favourites while more are becoming increasingly attractive due to direct flight options.
Bindeshwari Prasad, executive director, Axplore Travelplus, told TTGmice that approximately 70 per cent of the company’s outbound business is focused on Asia. A bulk of these are incentive trips while there are several meetings and conferences.
Several APAC destinations are witnessing a surge in arriving Indian business event groups; Hoi An, Vietnam pictured
He elaborated: “In the period following the pandemic, Dubai was the most in demand. However, Thailand has since reclaimed the top spot. Vietnam is rapidly emerging as a preferred choice for Indian incentive groups, while Gulf countries like Qatar and Oman are also rising in popularity.”
Akshay Moza, vice president, commercial division at The Grand Ho Tram Strip, Vietnam, said: “The expansion of direct flights to Ho Chi Minh City has greatly enhanced Vietnam’s appeal to Indian travellers, solidifying our position as an accessible and attractive MICE destination. This improved connectivity is crucial for attracting larger corporate groups.”
Pre-pandemic, there were six direct flights between India and Vietnam. Since then, there have been multiple direct flights connecting destinations like New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Kochi in India to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang and Phu Quoc in Vietnam.
The introduction of visa waivers by Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia has also contributed to the growing popularity of these destinations among Indian corporate groups.
Naveen Kundu, managing director, Ebix Travel Group, India, Middle East & ASEAN, said that the demand for Asian destinations for business events is “skyrocketing”, thanks to the “visa-free entry for Indians” offered by several Asian countries.
He added: “Following the lead of countries like Sri Lanka and Thailand, there are reports that Indonesia will soon offer visa exemptions to Indian travellers. I believe that in the next five years, the Indian outbound MICE market alone will surpass the entire (inbound) tourism economy of many countries.”
According to Prasad, there remains a strong pent-up demand for business event activities among corporations in various sectors, including IT, pharmaceutical, finance, and manufacturing.
“There is an average of 18 to 20 per cent growth in demand for outbound MICE this year compared to the last year,” shared Prasad.
Secondary destinations like Zhangjiajie (pictured) are rising in popularity among Malaysia’s outbound corporates
Malaysia and China’s implementation of visa-free travel – in celebration of 50 years of Malaysia-China bilateral diplomatic relations – for their citizens has significantly boosted business events tourism.
The reciprocal visa-free policy, effective until the end of 2025 for Malaysians and 2026 for Chinese, has led to a significant increase in Chinese visitors to Malaysia since its implementation on December 1, 2023. In 1H2024, Chinese arrivals totalled 1.5 million, a 190.8 per cent increase over the same period in 2023.
Secondary destinations like Zhangjiajie (pictured) are rising in popularity among Malaysia’s outbound corporates
Faeez Fadhlillah, co-founder and CEO of Tripfez Travel & Tours, told TTGmice that small corporate groups travelling to China for meetings or incentive trips have shortened to three weeks or less, due to the elimination of visa-related hassles. However, Faeez noted that groups of over 50 still require longer lead times due to the high demand for airline seats.
“In the past, China was seldom a choice for Malaysian companies looking to reward their employees with an all-expenses-paid trip abroad. Obtaining a Chinese visa used to be a hassle, so companies often chose other destinations that did not require a visa,” he explained.
He added that secondary destinations in China, such as Xi’an and Zhangjiajie, are now favoured over first-tier cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou, thanks to the former’s cultural and scenic experiences.
Mint Leong, managing director of Sunflower Holidays in Kuala Lumpur, noted that improved direct air access from Kuala Lumpur to second- and third-tier cities is driving outbound travel demand to China.
As more Malaysians are eager to explore and seek in-depth experiences at their destinations, Leong is promoting destinations such as Lanzhou, Yantai, Chongqing, Qingdao, and Lijiang.
She said: “Gone are the days when Malaysians were content with sit-in coaches and visiting many places in one trip. Now, they want to explore the destination and experience it like a local.”
For inbound incentive travel to Malaysia from China, Hasniza Suid, director of sales, Langkawi MICE Holidays & Tours, shared that the duty-free status of Langkawi, as well as its beaches and islands, appeals to Chinese incentive groups.
As there were no direct flights from China to Langkawi, many groups on scheduled flights travel from either Kuala Lumpur or Penang to Langkawi, resulting in an average stay of at least three nights.
Zulkifli Rahman, director of sales and marketing at The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, concurred, sharing that the average length of stay for Chinese groups has increased from two nights to five nights, as many organisers prefer to stay at a single accommodation rather than split between multiple locations.
Pigeonhole Live, an interactive platform crafted for a diverse range of meetings and events, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with simultaneous interpretation solutions provider Interprefy earlier this year to create better engagement among members of the audience through inclusive Q&As and multilingual communication.
Hew Joon Yeng, chief business officer and co-founder of Singapore-headquartered Pigeonhole Live, told TTGmice: “While simultaneous interpretation is readily available, a gap remains in Q&A sessions, where questions are typically submitted in the main event language. Our partnership with Interprefy bridges this gap by enabling diverse audience members to ask questions in their preferred language, creating a fully inclusive end-to-end experience.”
The AI Insights feature can analyse audience sentiments
This, Hew indicated, will bring about a more meaningful experience for attendees, because “when participants can express themselves comfortably in their preferred language, they are more likely to ask genuine questions that reflect their true thoughts, concerns, or feedback”.
Aside from merely being a tool for Q&A sessions and polls at events, Pigeonhole Live also boasts an integrated AI Insights feature to help organisers plan better events in the future.
“Our AI Insights tool analyses questions for sentiment, detecting positive or negative tones in discussions that might not be immediately obvious. It examines the original language of each question without translation, preserving its most authentic form. This allows event organisers to identify key topics, pinpoint areas for improvement based on negative sentiments, and filter responses to understand the true mood and concerns of their audience,” Hew explained.
When asked why partnerships are important in scaling up, JoonHew shared that as industry leaders experience the benefits of multilingual communication and Pigeonhole Live’s interactive tools at large-scale conferences, there is also a chance they may adopt the platform for their own internal meetings or town halls to bring about more inclusive and genuine Q&A sessions.
“This creates a ripple effect, extending the value of our partnership beyond just external events to improve communication and engagement within organisations themselves.”
Dusit Thani Bangkok has partnered with Porsche Thailand to deliver a bespoke luxury limousine service for guests.
This collaboration marks the first time in Thailand that Porsche sports cars will be used as part of a hotel’s limousine service. Dusit Thani Bangkok’s luxury fleet includes five Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Executive models, an executive sedan that delivers comfort, style, technology, and sophistication.
Dusit has partnered with Porsche Thailand to provide a luxury limousine experience for its guests
The long wheelbase Panamera Executive features a spacious, luxurious interior, with premium leather seats, entertainment systems and complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi – perfect for transfers, bespoke excursions, or tailored travel routes.
In addition, each chauffeur managing Dusit’s fleet has received rigorous training from Porsche Thailand – these elite drivers further distinguish themselves by wearing bespoke uniforms, crafted to reflect the elegance and sophistication of both Dusit Thani Bangkok and the Porsche brand.
The reimagined Dusit Thani Bangkok will open its doors on September 27, 2024, following a transformation as part of the Dusit Central Park project, located opposite Lumpini Park.
Furthermore, guests booking Club Rooms or Suites directly through the hotel or its website will enjoy a complimentary airport transfer in a Porsche Panamera Executive limousine – an exclusive privilege reserved for direct bookings only.
The Travel Corporation (TTC) has appointed Melissa DaSilva as interim chief executive officer of TTC Tour Brands.
DaSilva, who most recently served as president of TTC Tour Brands North America and brings over three decades of travel industry expertise to her new role, succeeds Gavin Tollman who will exit the business when the company sale closes later this year.
In her interim position, DaSilva will oversee TTC Tour Brands’ portfolio of six brands, which includes Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, and Contiki.
Gigi Cheung has been appointed as managing director of global marketing, products and partnerships of Plaza Premium Group.
She brings over 24 years of experience in business development, partnerships, sales and consumer experience, and will take the lead in developing and implementing strategies to establish the company’s global marketing standards in her new role.
She was most recently the vice president for the launch of K11 MUSEA in Hong Kong as a cultural destination, and prior to that, she had a nine-year tenure at New World Development.
A rendering of the upcoming Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre
Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre, an hour’s drive from Melbourne, is now taking bookings for 2026 and beyond.
Currently under construction on the Geelong waterfront, Nyaal Banyul offers 3,700m2 of versatile event space, including a 1,000-seat theatre and 2,000m2 exhibition space. The precinct is able to host a variety of events from international and national conferences, exhibitions and entertainment events to local community gatherings.
A rendering of the upcoming Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre
Once open, Nyaal Banyul will be a fossil fuel free site (with the exception of stored diesel for the backup generator), and 38 per cent of the energy used will be self-generated. There will also be waste sorting and diversion from landfills.
Located on the waterfront of Wadawurrung land, the venue is also connected 200-room Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Pre and post-event, attendees will have access to some of Australia’s best craft breweries, local wineries, farm gates and provedores, and creative scene all on Nyaal Banyul’s doorstep.
Operated by the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust, venue details, including floorplans and video flythroughs, are now available on the venue website.
Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre is part of the Geelong City Deal, a collaborative partnership to transform Geelong and the Great Ocean Road by the Australian and Victorian Governments with the City of Greater Geelong.
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In her interim position, DaSilva will oversee TTC Tour Brands’ portfolio of six brands, which includes Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, and Contiki.
She was most recently the vice president for the launch of K11 MUSEA in Hong Kong as a cultural destination, and prior to that, she had a nine-year tenure at New World Development.
